Pipe swabbing machine



April 23, 1957 o. R. oLsoN PIPE swABBING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledApril 22. 1953 NQ om..

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April 23, 1957 o. R. OLSQN 2,789,927'

PIPE SWABBING MACHINE Filed April 22. 1955 4 She'ets-Sheet 2 QHINVENTOR.

April 23, 1957 o. R. oLsoN 2,789,927

PIPE SWABBING MACHINE Filed April 22. 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. yOcUfUQO/son Bym April 23, 1957 o. R. oLsoN- 2,789,927

PIPE swABBING MACHINE Filed April 22. 195s 4 sheets-sheet 4 N INVENTOR.Oar ,PIO/.fon

M wze `'ited States This invention relates to the method and apparatusfor removing an elongated article to withdraw it from a bath furnace andsimultaneously remove the excess bath from the surfaces of the article.

The present manual method of treating articles such as pipe afterpassing the same through a bath type spelter furnace is to manually liftthe end of the pipe with tongs, roll it into the bath and after 'apredetermined time, manually lift out one end by means of the tongs anddrag it onto a storage rack to let the excess spelter drain therefrom.The pipe is frequently wiped off by using asbestos. The exterior may bewiped with an asbestos cloth and the interior by swabbing the bore witha rod having an asbestos plug thereon. After a suitable elapse of timewhen the pipe is cooled olf, it can be stored. There are many problemsrequiring deft handling and separating the hot pipe to prevent thecoating from being scraped of or sticking to adjacent articles which marthe surface rendering the coating step undesirable or useless.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of method andapparatus for latching onto the leading end of an elongated rod or pipeby a magnetic roll which holds the article thereto and drags it out ofthe furnace bath. A series of such rolls disposed in an inclined planewill convey the article from the vicinity of the kettle. This slopegiven to the article permits the excess bath material to naturally draintoward the kettle as it is being withdrawn from the bath.

To augment the removal of the bath from the surfaces of the article, itmay be passed through a ring nozzle that directly discharges a lluidunder pressure against the inner and outer surfaces as the article isconveyed by the series of magnetic rolls. lf the article is a tube, itis preferable to place the ring blowoff nozzle closely adjacent thekettle so that the excess bath is blown directly back into the same. Thering may be mounted in front of the iirst'magnetic roll necessitatingthe threading of the pipe therethrough. The ring may be placed backalong the series of rolls for the automatic feeding of the pipe to themagnetic dragout.

To swab or blow out the hole through the pipe, one may employ a mandrelwhich is temporarily charged with lluid under pressure at one end andhas an annular nozzle at its other end to direct the iluid underpressure against the inside wall of the pipe as the nozzle head passesthrough the pipe forcing the excess bath material ahead and out itslower open end toward the kettle. This mandrel must be caught when itsnozzle head protrudes from the lower end of the pipe and then the upperend of the mandrel is released while the pipe continues to travel andthus move olf the mandrel until the mandrel is free, after which it iscaught and recon Y"latent O ICC greater than its length, the inner andouter surfaces of the pipe have been wiped of excess bath.

The swabbing lluid under pressure may be a gas such as air orsuperheated steam. If a special gas or superheated steam is employed towipe oil the excess bath material, a second ring nozzle employing coldair may be discharged against the surfaces of the articles to initiallychill the same before leaving the magnetic conveyor. Thus the elongatedarticle may be wiped by means of a fluid under pressure and cooled whileit continues uninterrupted on its way from the bath to the cooling rackthat receives the articles from this magnetic dragout.

The articles handled by this magnetic dragout must of course be capableof being held by a magnet. The majority ofthe rollers in this dragoutare constructed of permanent magnetic material, and once they are givena steel article, such as pipe, they will not release the same but byrotation, they literally roll the pipe away and thus convey it away fromeach roll. The last few rolls must be constructed as electromagneticrolls to permit an automatic control switch to deenergize the same whenthe pipe section reaches the discharge position. These controlled rollsbecome deenergized and merely drop the pipe section Vonto a cooling rackor conveyor from whence it proceeds for further treatment.

ther objects and advantages appear hereinafter in the followingdescription and claims.

The accompanying drawings show for the purpose of exemplificationwithout limiting the invention or claims thereto certain practicalembodiments illustrating the principles of this invention wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing a dragout.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the mandrel head supporting grip.

Fig. 4 is an end view taken from the right of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the mandrel tail supporting grip.

Fig. 7 is an end view taken from the left of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line 10-10 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line 11-11 of Fig. 9.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the supporting frame is represented bya pair of spaced channel supporting members 1 and 2 tied together inparallel-relation by a plurality of cross members 3 to form the frame 4.The

frame 4 is provided with the pairs of spaced transverse members 5 and 6that are supported by the vertical members 7 and 8 that in turn havejournaled on their lower ends the wheels 10 that support and roll theframe on the track 11 for the purpose of moving the frame from thevicinity of the kettle 12 of the bath type furnace.

The frame 4 rotatably supports a series of magnetizable grooved rollers13. The rollers of the first group are constructed of permanent magnetmaterial to permit them to hold a long steel section. The rollers 14 ofthe second group are electromagnetic so that they may be energized anddeenergized selectively to release a section of pipe when it ispositioned over the receiving rack 15. The rolls are all tied togetherthrough the sprocket and chain train which is driven from the motor 16.This motor drives through the variable drive' unit 17 and thence bychain 18 to shaft 20 carrying the last electromagnetic roll 14 shown.This train drive continues Vthrough the chain -2-1 -to vxthe shaft 22thence Ythrough the chains 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, and 33 to respectiveshafts 24, 26, 2S, 30, 32, and 34. The rolls 13 and 14 are fixed to1theseshafts, and the driving of thelatter causes a pipe section to betransferred up the inclined frame by passing thesame from'one magnetizedroll to thefother.

As shown in lFig. l, one end of the pipe may be re- -moved from `thekettle by tongs and threaded'through the circular nozzle 35. This nozzleis-supported from the bracket 36 on the lower end of the frame. Thisnoazre -is connected through the pipe line 37 which in turn is connected`to a ksource of lfluid under'pressure by the exi- -bly .joined pipe 38.The tiuid discharged through this circular nozzle vis lpreferablysuperheated steam Vwhich impinges around the perimetral surface of thepipe as it is drawn through this ring nozzle. The force of the /uidlwipes theiexcess bath-rnaterial Vfrom-the exterior sur- -face ofthearticle `whether it is -a pipe or rod.

If thebath is aspelterfthe wiping action conserves the .spelter and alsoaids-in making amoreuniform coating. Iflthe bath is-saltand is merelyfor the purpose of heating,'the Vsuperheatedsteamremovesthe salt residuefrom vthe surfaceand the article without cooling the same.

By placingthe end-of the pipe through the ring nozzle and incontact-with the first roll 13, the latter drags the pipe through thebath and out of Vthe kettle 12 and each roll 13 takes up the pipe inturn and conveys it up the inclined plane. The pipe is suspended fromthe under side of the rolls 13 and 14 owing to the magnetic forces thatthey applyto the pipe.

To wipe out the inside of the pipe, a mandrel 4t) is alternately heldfat its front and rear end by the head tail mandrel supports 41 and 42.As the pipe section approaches theheadmandrel support 4l, the latter isopen and the pointed end of the nozzle head 430i the mandrel vissupported in the second pipe guide or guideway Asshown inFig. 3, thepipe enters the iirst guide or guideway 45.which positions the Vpipe tobe threaded over the pointed end of the nozzle head 43. The pipecontinues over the nozzle head'untilit reaches the secondguideway,..thus lifting the front end 'of the mandrel oft this guide.Nhen the pipe approaches the rst guide, it -trips= alimit switch "39which operates the solenoid 46 to open the air valve 47 that controlsthe operation ofthe servomotor VZiSthat opensthe steam'valve 51B toadmit superheated steam through aviie'xible connection 51 to the breechcylinder 52 shown in Fig. 6. This cylinder has an outerpiston'f5'3against which air is applied to move it forward to engage the butt endof the hollow mandrel 49 yto pass .the steam thereto.

The pneumatic piston 53 is energized by the solenoid 46 4that'controlslthe pneumatic valve 47 to supply air to the piston 53 which isinitiated by the same limit yswitch 39 that controlsthe solenoid 46. Theend of the breech cylinder52 is spherically ground yto tit a matingsurface on the buttendofthe mandrel 40.

As the .pipepasses over the hea'd43, -the steam is issuing therefrom,and the force of this uid removes the excess bath ymaterial down throughthe pipe, thus swabbing out the inside ofthe pipe.

The pipe section continues over `the mandrel until it strikes .the limitswitch 54 which vis immediately in back of the head mandrel support 41.The limit switch :74 functions tohold the steam valve open and when theend of the pipepasses ofi this switch, the stearn valve is closed 'as.the ynozzlehead at this time extends out of the pipe.

-As the lead end of the pipe continues over and off the mandrel, itstrikes the limit switches 55, 56, 57, 59, and 601m turn. Limit Aswitch55 energizes an indicator that informs the operators that they may startanother pipe section through the ring nozzle V35. 'if the machine isyfully automatic anda loading device is provided on the kettle,thislswitcvh Would vthen initiate the removal Afrom the kettle ofthenextpipe section and feed -it to the ma chine Acomprising this invention.

vrpath of the oncoming section 'of pipe.

yconnection 51 permits' this movement of the breech cylinAsfthepipe'continues oventhemandrel, yit engages Vthe limit switch 56which closes the head mandrel support 4i by energizing the solenoidvalve 61 that supplies huid under pressure to move the piston in thegrip operating servomotor 62 shown in Figs. l and 2 to move the lever 63down as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This actuates the top grip slide 64, andthrough'the arm 65 actuates the reversing lever66 to I.pull on thearm 67and rotate the dual levers 65 to move thelower grip slide '69. The topand bottom grip slides64and69 are thus pulled toward each other `toengage thehead 43 of the mandrel and support and hold the same as thetrailing end of the pipe has passed over this head `leaving Litexposed.The position of the switch 56 must be changed for different lengths ofpipe unless the distance between the mandrel head, and the switch 56 isalways greater than the longest section of pipe to be handled. l

When the limit switch 54 is actuated by the passing of the'pipe oi thesame, the solenoid 46 is deenergized causing the valve 47 `to shift toits opposite position and supply fluid under pressure to the oppositeside of the piston 53 and thus retract the'breech cylinder 52 from theend of the mandrel 40.

VThe leading end of the pipe next engages the limit switch 57 whichopens the tail mandrel support 42 by energizing the solenoid 71 thatsupplies Huid under pressure to move the piston in the grip operatingservomotor 72 shown in Figs. l and 2, which in turn moves the lever 73upwardly as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. This actuates the top grip slide 74to raise the same and through the arm 75 which also actuates thereversing lever 76 to push on the arm 77 and rotate the dual lever 78 tomove the lower grip slide 79 down. The top and bottom grip slides 74 and79 thus disengage the tail of the mandrel 46 and leave it free for thepipe to pass oli the mandrel, thesame being held by the grips 64 and 69on the mandrel head 43.

'The operation of thelever 73 also raises theslide Si) in its track 31to liftthe breech cylinder 52 out of the The iiexible der 52.

The'leadingrend 'of the pipe l section then passes through ythe guide-82 and thence pa'st the `position of the tail mandrel support v42 to.the rollers 14.

After passing Vthrough the nozzle 35 and over the mandrel 4t?, thepiperse'ction has been wiped by the action of the steam to remove theAexcess coating or entirely remove the bath if'thesame was a salt.

The pipe is still hot, and it may pass through the nozzle 83 whichdirects la blast of cool air all around the pipe but is open at thebottom to permit the pipe to fall therethrough. This cools the pipe .asit passes therethrough.

When the pipe section .engages the `switch V59, the tracking end hascleared the tail mandrel support 42, and the switch 59 energizes thesolenoid 71 to reverse the action of the servomotor 72-andlower thelever73 and raise the vleverl 78 toclose the Ijaws 74 and 79 on the tail endof the mandrel 40.

This movement of the lever 73 also lowers'the breech cylinder 52 intoproper position for the piston 53 to move the same intofengagement 4withthe end of the mandrel ready for the supply of steam thereto.

When `the lever 7S raises `to close the grips 79, vit actuates the limitswitch 58 which in yturn energizes the solenoid 61 to reverse the valveand energize the Yservomotor 62 to move the levers 63 and 68 away fromeach other and thus withdraw the ytop and bottom head grips 64 and 69 toadmit the next sectionof pipe to the mandrel head 43 wherein the -cycleis @repeatedf When the first section of pipe strikes the-limitswitch 60,the latter causes the electromagnetic rolls 14 Eto become deenergized,thus dropping the pipe onto the rack l5 where it may be conveyed away ormoved through the cooling cycle.

The tail mandrel support 42 is 'provided with a mandrel hold down duringthe time the upper grip jaw is stripped from the mandrel. As shown in10, the mandrel tail member 84 is provided with an annular slot 85 inwhich is received the adjacent bifurcated edges 86 and 87 of the topgrip 74. It is necessary to insert the top grip 74 into this slot toprevent any accidental longitudinal. movement of the mandrel and to holdit stationaryto receive the steam cylinder. In order to withdraw thistop grip from their grooves, it is necessary to hold the mandrel down.This is accomplished as shown in Figs. 6 and 10 by the h-old down 90which is the lower leg of a bell crank lever the upper leg 91 of whichis bifurcated and extends horizontally. The outer ends of the leg 91 arepivotally connected to one end of the link 92, the upper end of which isprovided with the slot 93. The bell crank lever is pivoted to lugs onthe I frame as indicated at 94, which lugs are stationary. An arm 95extends outwardly from the top grip member 74 and has a pin 96 riding inthe slot 93. This pin thus provides lost motion when traveling upthrough the slot 93 when the top grip 74 is raised. When the pin 90reaches the uppermost position of the slot 93 in the link 92, furtherupward movement of the grip 74 swings the bell crank in a clockwisedirection to move the lower leg 90 out of engagement with the mandreland out of the path of the oncoming pipe.

Thus during the initial upward movement .of the grip 74, the lower leg90 holds the mandrel down and permits the withdrawal of the grip fromthe slot 85, and then the lower leg 90 is swinging out of the path ofthe oncoming pipe section. This hold down is reset in the reverse mannerwhen the topf grip 74 is again lowered intlo its enterengagement withthe slot 85 in the mandrel tai.

Each of the movable members are of course adjustable to accommodatedifferent sizes of pipe or other similar articles to be handled. If thearticle is a solid bar the mandrel is removed.

I claim:

l. A pipe swabbing machine comprising an inclined frame, a series ofpower driven magnetzable grooved rollers rotatably mounted with theirgrooves in alignment on the underside of the frame to conveymagnetizable pipe suspended from the underside of the roller grooves, anozzle supported by said frame adjacent the lower end thereof fordirecting fluid over the perimetral surface of said pipe to wipe theexcess bath material from the exterior of said pipe as it passes up theframe, head and tail mandrel supports suspended from said frame inwardlyof at least a plurality of said rollers, a free and hollow mandrelhaving a head nozzle and a tail, arcuate guides on each mandrel supportin alignment with said roller grooves to suspend .said mandrel when notencircled by a pipe section, grip jaw slides on said head and tailmandrel supports to alternately engage th-e respective ends of themandrel, a movable breech cylinder operable in conjunction 'withvthetail grip jaw slides to engage the tail of the mandrel and supply uidthereto when the tail of the mandrel is suspended by the tail grip jawslides, and switch means spaced along said frame and actuated by themovement of a pipe section travelling along the grooved rollers tosupply and shut olf iluid to said mandrel as the pipe passes over themandrel and to control the alternate operation of said tail and grip jawslides.

2. The struct-ure of claim 1 characterized in that the arcuate guide onthe head mandrel support comprises a iirst and 'a second partial ring,said first ring guiding the pipe over the mandrel head.

3. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that said mandrel nozzlehead is larger in diameter than said mandrel, and said head grip vjawslides engage said mand-rel in back of said head nozzle. I

4. The structure of claim l characterized in that each set of said gripjaw slides is connected together through a `reversing lever to beactuated in unison.

5. The Istructure of claim l characterized in that said mandrel tail hasan `annular slot and the upper grip jaw slide is bifurcated to engagesaid slot and prevent axial movement of said mandrel.

`6. The structure of claim 5 characterized in that said mandrel tail isengaged by a hold down lifted by said bifurcated slide -after the latteris disengaged from said slot.

7. The structure of claim 1 which also includes a limit switch meansactuated by the closing of said grip jaw slides on .said mandrel tail tocontrol the opening of said head grip jaw slides. l

8. The structure of claim 1 which also includes a head grip switch meansintermediate said mandrel supports and actuated by a pipe section toclose said head grip jaw slideson said mandrel.

9. The structure of claim 1 -which also includes a tail grip Iswitchmeans intermediate said mandrel supports and actuated by :a pipe sectionto -open said -tail grip jaw slides and withdraw said ybreech cylinderfrom said mandrel.

10. The `struct-ure of claim 1 which .also includes a second tail gripswitch means actuated by a pipe section beyond the tail mandrel supportto close said tail grip jaw slides and set said breech cylinder on saidmandrel.

1l. The 4structure of claim l which also includes a magnetizable rollerswitch means actuated by a pipe section beyond the tail mandrel supportto temporarily de-energize the rollers suspending the actuating pipesection to drop said pipe section.

12. The structure of cla-im l 1which also includes wheeled supports tocarry said frame from and move it to different positions.

13. The method of Itreating pipe sections being removed from a bathfurnace which comprises the steps of magnetically suspending andsimultaneously conveying by rolling acti-on each pipe section in turnlongitudinally along a given path without scraping or marring the pipesurface, wiping the interior and exterior surfaces of each pipe sectionwith uid under pressure as they continue their movement withoutinterruption along the given path, and discharging each wiped pipesection in turn at the end of the given path.

14. The method of treating pipe sections being removed from 'a bathfurnace which comprises the steps of magnetically suspending andsimultaneously conveying Iby rolling action each pipe section in turnlongitudinally along a given path without scraping or marring the pipesurface, wiping the interior and exterior surfaces of each pipe sectionwith `lluid under pressure as they continue their movement -withoutinterruption along the given path, thereafter cooling the pipe as itcontinues to move along the given path, and discharging each wiped pipesection at the end of the given path.

l5. A pipe swabbing machine comprising a frame, a series of power drivenmagnetizable rollers rotatably mounted on `the under side of said framefrom which to suspend and convey magnetizable pipe longitudinally of itsaxis, a wiping means mounted under the frame and having an interior landan exterior fluid discharge to wipe the inside and outside of the pipeas it travels along the frame without interrupting the progressivemovement of the pipe.

16. The structure o-f claim 15 characterized in that said wiping meansincludes a head and a tai-l mandrel .supports carrying a hollow mandrelwith a discharge for the interior of the pipe and a nozzle means vwith adischarge for the exterior of the pipe.

17. The structure of claim 16 characterized in that said mandrelsupports alternately support their respective ends of rthellaudrl Whn'apip'epassestherealong andsafijdila'l maudmvls-thebhrgnduf the mandrelenters f he pipe. 18. The stuq'turefflaim 17 which asoiicludes swichmeans spaced,'I'Qngsadframe:andactuarted by the mo'vementfapipetheraalong yto .Supply and shut @if the fluid pressurend to. actuatesaid mandrel supports.

11,308,469 :Amr July 1, 1919

13. THE METHOD OF TREATING PIPE SECTION BEING REMOVED FROM A BATHFURNACE WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF MAGNETICALLY SUSPENDING ANDSIMULTANEOUSLY CONVEYING BY ROLLING ACTION EACH PIPE SECTION IN TURNLONGITUDINALLY ALONG A GIVEN PATH WITHOUT SCRAPING OR MARRING THE PIPESURFACE, WIPING THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR SURFACES OF EACH PIPE SECTIONWITH FLUID UNDER PRESSURE AS THEY CONTINUE THEIR MOVEMENT WITHOUTINTERRUPTION ALONG THE GIVEN PATH, AND DISCHARGING EACH WIPED PIPESECTION IN TURN AT THE END OF THE GIVEN PATH.
 15. A PIPE SWABBINGMACHINE COMPRISING A FRAME, A SERIES OF POWER DRIVEN MAGNETIZABLEROLLERS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE UNDER SIDE OF SAID FRAME FROM WHICH TOSUSPEND AND CONVEY MAGNETIZABLE PIPE LONGITUDINALLY OF ITS AXIS, AWIPING MEANS MOUNTED UNDER THE FRAME AND HAVING AN INTERIOR AND ANEXTERIOR FLUID DISCHARGE TO WIPE THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE PIPE ASIT TRAVELS ALONG THE FRAME WITHOUT INTERRUPTING THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENTOF THE PIPE.